I Was Here
by Dottylove1327
Summary: After sacrificing everything and making deals with the FBI, Dom returns home when he gets wind Letty is engaged. Fighting for his woman and explaining where he's been serves to be a task when Letty can't get over the fact that he left her in the middle of the night.
1. Waking Up Alone

**Okay, so be nice, this is my first FanFic, reviews are greatly appreciated. Let me know what you think & if it's worth continuing. I owe my inspiration for this fic to Beyonce's "I Was Here". It's definately worth a listen to just to understand how these characters are feeling in this chapter. But mainly, dramababe16 for writing truly inspirational stories and giving me the confidence to publish this. Without her editing and comments (and the whole flash back at the end), I wouldn't be publishing this today. So, seriously, after you've read this, go and check out her stories. My personal favourite is Angst. It is amazing. Thank you :) and thank you all for reading.**

**Disclaimer: sadly I do not own the Fast and the Furious, any characters, actors or songs.**

**I Was Here**

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time

Know there was something that, and something that I left behind

When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets, to

Leave something to remember, so they won't forget

_Dominican Republic_

All she had ever wanted was **him**. Since she moved down the street from him 11 years ago. First off it started with a mutual love of American Muscle but slowly it had turned from a small child's crush, to a burning lust, and then finally an all-consuming fire. He occupied every part of her, her heart, her head, her soul. He was her air, her reason for breathing, for living, for being. It took 6 years for him to notice her, and after that she knew that there was nothing in heaven or hell that could keep them apart.

And then **he** left.

Letty had woken up alone in the Dominican Republic, had seen the money on the side, **his** necklace on top of it. And she knew what it meant. He was gone. And he was not coming back.

Her mind went through a tumult of emotions, she wanted to scream, to break things, to punch the wall. She felt a tear hit her hand, she hadn't even realised she was crying, and suddenly she couldn't breathe. The pain she felt was physical and she couldn't draw a breath. After everything, he had crept out in the middle of the night, leaving her like a 2 dollar whore with the money on the night table. As if that would make up for the physical loss of him in her life. She stumbled on the sheet that had fallen off the bed as her tears blurred her vision. She didn't have the strength to catch herself and landed heavily on the floor. She didn't know how long she lay there, clutching her heart, trying to fix something that he'd promised he'd never break.

Finally she eased herself upright, leaning back against the bed that they'd made love in not 12 hours before, staring at herself in the mirror in a daze. How had she become this person? Crying her heart out over a man, a man who had left her without even a goodbye. For the second time.

Slowly she stood up, wiped away her tears and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She noticed that his toothbrush was gone, and his aftershave. She ran a towel under the tap and gently rubbed her raw eyes with it, soothing the red rimmed lids.

She turned around and went back into the bedroom. Opening one of the drawers, she saw that he'd packed everything of his. Silently, she wondered when he'd packed his life up, at what point he had made the decision that he was going to leave her. She walked over to the night table and gently fingered his father's cross that lay on top of the stacks of bills. There was a note at the side that she hadn't noticed before, opening it she sat down on the bed.

"This has always been yours. I left it behind so you'll know that I did this to keep you safe. I will always be yours. Don't forget.

Dom"

Letty once again felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She sighed, he always thought he knew what was best for her. Always trying to keep her safe. Forgetting that she was always safest whenever she was with him.

She reached to the top of the wardrobe and grabbed down her suitcase and slowly started packing her things up. For every item she put away, she felt herself packing away a piece of Him, closing her mind to her feelings for Him. It was the only way she knew how to cope. She was well practiced in this. He'd done this before. She would survive this. It appeared to people who didn't know her as a cold indifference, but the people who had really taken the time to get to know her would have seen that she was broken, shattered, again. So she packed up her life. She shut down and she walked away. Just like He had.

_~Flashback~_

"_There she is…" Dom said, spying Letty sat on a rock, watching the waves crash against the sand. _

"_Hey" she replied smiling up at her man. He sat down behind her and she could feel the tension in his body. She absentmindedly stroked his leg, staring out at the waves._

"_I hear Rio's nice this time of year." She offered up, trying to delay the inevitable conversation._

"_The cops are getting hungry." He started._

"_Then I guess we're doing our job." She joked back, attempting to keep the conversation light._

"_I'm a walking target, I don't want you around when they catch up to me." His voice growled deeply in his throat as he spoke, and even though he was trying to talk Letty into leaving him she couldn't help feeling soothed by a lifetime of memories that voice instilled in her._

"_Ride or die, remember?" Letty stated. There was no question in it. It was their code, one they'd lived by as long as she could remember. It didn't just stand for their love for racing fast cars. It was everything about who they were. It meant living, loving, racing, family, putting their all into everything they did. If not, what was the point? They might as well be dead._

_She stared at him, waiting for a confirmation, a reassurance that he agreed. But all she saw was pain, and sorrow and unspoken apologies._

"_Dom, how long have we been doing this? And now all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it's too dangerous? Come on! We'll figure it out! We always do!" Letty despaired, desperate to make him see that they could survive this together, to make sure he didn't leave her again like he had in Mexico. She wasn't sure how well she could track him down the next time, if she even had the energy to run after somebody she wasn't sure loved her anymore._

_Dom stared into her eyes, silently listening to her impassioned plea. He had no words to comfort her. He didn't want to make any false promises, it would hurt her enough tomorrow when she woke up alone without him lying to her first._

_Desperately, Letty kissed him, slowly at first, trying to pour all of her love into him, trying to make him see that they were stronger together, that she would live any life she had to in order to stay with him. This was the life she chose, and would choose every single time, as long as she could be with her man._

_The pain Dom felt in his heart was overwhelming him, and he grabbed his love, desperate to have her close to him, even if it was going to only be one last time. To try and show her that he loved her. That he was doing this __**because**__ he loved her. That he would do anything to ensure that she was safe. This was never the life he had chosen for her. And he felt his heart break as he pulled her to him, knowing that this would be the last time_

_He wasn't sure what time it was. After going back to their apartment on the beach to make love, she had fallen asleep in his arms. He'd silently got up and got dressed and now sat watching the only woman he had ever loved sleeping peacefully. He was disgusted with himself, creeping out in the middle of the night. But he knew if he waited until she woke up she would talk him out of it. It would only take one look from her before his resolve would break. He had to keep reminding himself that he was doing this to save her. Without him she would be __**safe**__, something she could never be if he stayed. It was the only way._

_He had always loved her. Since the second he saw her when she returned from Puerto Rico when she was 15. When she was near him, everything was alright. One look from her, calmed him down to his very soul. She was the reason he stayed sane after his father had died. She was the only person he could stand being near him during those first few weeks. She understood him better than anyone ever had and he knew he would never find anyone more perfect for him than she was. _

_He loved her more than he had ever thought could be possible. He wasn't complete without her, and he knew that if anything happened to her it would destroy him. He had to do this. He had to keep her safe. Everything he ever did was for her, and this was no different._

_~Flashback to early that night~_

_"I told you to stop calling me O'Connor, you may not want to bring me in but your friends at the FBI have other ideas..."_

_"That's why I'm calling Dom, this is a chance for you to come back home. To stop running."_

_"And why should I trust you now? Look where it got me the first time I did,"_

_"I'm not doing it just for you, I know I ruined your life...all your lives. She didn't look at you the way she looked at me, I regret hurting her with everything I have." Dom calmed down and loosened the grip he held on the burner phone. He also walked further down the beach. He knew Letty would miss his warmth and wake soon if he didn't get back into bed. Dom didn't trust O'Connor but one thing he did know for sure was that Brian's feelings for Mia were indeed very real. They proved as a good motivator, if O'Connor was throwing him a bone on Mia's behalf then he had no choice but to believe him._

_"You think this will get you back in with my sister?"_

_"No I think it's a start. Bringing you home is the only way I can even begin to fix it."_

_"You have a deal Brian."_

_"Good, our target is Braga..."_

_~End of Dom's Flashback~ _

_So finally, his resolve stiffened, he picked up his bag, and with one last look at his love he left her behind, the only evidence he had been there being his share from the last heist, his necklace that had always been hers and his footsteps in the sand._

**Reviews are love **


	2. Happy Birthday Letty

**Thank you to all my lovely reviews, stalkers, faves and followers. It means so much :) And thanks again to dramababe16 - being my editor and my first audience. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: once again I don't own any of the Fast and the Furious, or anything else that sounds familiar.**

I was here I lived,

I loved I was here I did,

I've done, everything that I wanted

And it was more than I thought it would be

I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here

~Los Angeles, 6 months later~

Letty had been home for 6 months and she still hadn't heard anything from Dom. After she had left the DR she had packed her things and gone straight home to LA. She was too damn tired to carry on chasing after someone who had obviously stopped loving her. She knew Mia spoke to him every now and then, but those occasions were rare and only ever seemed to involve Dom checking in on Mia. He never answered any questions about where he was or what he was doing. After the first contact, ensuring Letty had made it back safe to their home, she didn't think Dom had asked about her, and being as stubborn as she was, she refused to ask Mia about him.

It was strange working back at DT's without Dom. Mia had sublet it to some guys whilst Dom and Letty had been in Mexico, but now that Letty was back she had taken over. It was Mr T's baby and she'd be damned if she let somebody else run it now she was back.

Letty slowly opened her eyes, blinking her eyes blearily at the flashing alarm clock. 6 o'clock. How had that happened? She'd only closed her eyes 5 minutes ago. Slowly she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She was still living in Dom's room. When she'd come back she'd moved back into the room she used to share with him, needing to be near him, emotionally, if it couldn't be physically.

Stretching, Letty swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded over to the ensuite bathroom. Turning on the water, she stripped off her shirt and let the water soothe her pounding head. Another night with hardly any sleep. She knew it was starting to show, the bags under her eyes were no longer hiding under the expensive concealer she'd invested in. She barely had any appetite, only eating to survive.

Turning off the shower, she wrapped a towel around herself and gently squeezed her hair out before tying it in a messy bun at the top of her head. Reaching for her coconut oil moisturiser she slathered it all over her body before brushing her teeth. Opening the cabinet in the mirror she pulled out her under eye concealer, lip gloss and mascara. As she opened her concealer she noticed she was running low. She'd have to pick up some more before she ran out. She quickly applied the make up before putting it back in the cabinet.

Walking back into their her bedroom, she pulled some underwear from her drawers and quickly slipped it on, grabbing a white wife beater from her cupboards as she passed. Finally, spying her whitewashed skinny jeans fallen at the back of the wardrobe and slipping on her low heeled knee-high leather boots she was ready.

"Morning." She smiled at Mia as she passed her in the kitchen. "What time's your exam today?"

"Two thirty" Mia responded, barely looking up from the text books she'd been pouring over for the past couple of weeks.

"Ah, that's what time my dentist appointment is!"

"Ha! You're so funny…" Mia deadpanned.

"Well, you know, I try." Letty grinned back reaching for her Lucky Charms cereal.

"You really do need to go to the dentist with all the sugar your teeth sees," Mia muttered.

"Yeah, yeah," Letty mumbled through a mouth full of cereal.

"I heard from Dom last night, he rang the house–" Mia started.

"Listen, I need to go. Good luck with your exam, text me when you're finished. I'll pick something up for dinner." Letty grabbed her keys and her bag and ran out the door.

"Happy Birthday Letty!" Mia shouted after her. She heard the bang of the front door and knew she hadn't heard her. She wasn't even sure Letty had remembered.

~Mexico~

"Listen Dom, you need to start keeping a low profile. This shit's going to get you hurt."

"Giselle, stop. You know I can take care of myself. Anyways, this is taking too long, we need to step it up. I need a meeting with Braga."

"You know I can't arrange that. I've never even met Braga myself." Giselle exclaimed.

"Yes you can. I need to finish this. You know I need to get home. I can't even risk speaking to her. If she had the slightest idea about what was really going on she would be over here before I could even hang up the phone. And then all of this would be for nothing!" Dom shouted, then quietly, "It's her birthday Giselle, and I can't even wish her a Happy Birthday. She's going to think I've forgotten, that I don't care."

"I'll see what I can do." Giselle murmured and turned and left the apartment.

Dom grabbed a Corona and walked over to the balcony. Leaning against the wooden railing he stared out at the beach. It was amazing, it didn't matter where he or Letty were in the world, they would always manage to ensure they were within spitting distance of the sea. It had always calmed them down. He had taken her there when her Grandma died, after a 5 year struggle with cancer. She hadn't eaten in days, wouldn't speak to anyone and he was terrified.

_~Flashback, El Pescador beach, LA 2007~_

"_Come on Letty," Dom crossed round to her door and pretty much dragged her out the car. She'd eaten nothing for 5 days so her already slight frame practically floated into his arms._

_They took the steep wooden steps that led the way from the top of the bluff to the white, sandy beach below, one arm cradling Letty the other holding the cooler and her blanket draped on top._

_Throwing the blanket in the air, letting it settle on the ground, he gently pushed her down and sat down beside her._

"_Here, drink this." Dom pushed a beer into her hands._

_Letty absentmindedly sipped at the bottle, staring at the waves crashing down. _

_They sat there for hours, until the sun set and the moon was shining over them. Letty had emptied the cooler of the Corona, whilst Dom watched. She still hadn't eaten but Dom took it as progress that at least she was out of the house._

"_She was more than my Grammi, you know?" Letty said quietly. Dom jumped at the sudden sound, then squeezed her leg, urging her to continue. "She was my best friend, she looked after me all those times Mom went off the rails. I never thought about the day she wouldn't be there. I know it's fucking stupid, but man, she was invincible! I remember this time, this guy came up and grabbed her purse when we were out shopping and ran off with it. I was only about 8 at the time and I was so scared, but my Grammi, she yells for this shop assistant. She goes "Look after my granddaughter!" and off she goes, racing after him. She caught up with him, uppercuts him to the jaw, then kicked him in the balls, and says "Don't you dare think about stealing another woman's handbag! I'll be keeping my eye out for you young man!" and strolls over to me, as if nothing had happened and said "Come on baby, let's go get some Natillas" and walked off leaving this giant thug whimpering on the floor. She was the person who taught me, it doesn't matter how big you are, what sex you are, or even how old you are, no one determines __**who**__ you are. And no one can take advantage of you if you don't let them. That weekend she took me to my first boxing lesson."_

_Dom knew that Letty's Grammi had been a wonderful woman and that Letty had loved her very much. He always knew she was important but he never had any idea how much. Ana Lucia had moulded the beautiful woman that sat before him today. His only regret was that he would never be able to thank her for the wonderful gift she had given him._

"_Come on, let's go home. I just want to cuddle up in bed and watch soppy movies." Letty sighed._

"_But-" Dom started._

"_No "But's" Dom."_

"_Okay, I'll even let you watch The Notebook, and I know Mia's hidden a carton of Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ben & Jerry's at the back of the freezer."_

_As the settled down to watch the marathon of films Letty had picked out, Dom ensured that they had all the food and drink they'd need for the next few hours. Settling back, Letty snuggled into the crook of Dom's arm, feeling safer than she had all week._

_As the lion roared on the screen, Dom leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forward._

"_Happy Birthday Letty."_

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	3. Ace

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Fast and Furious, or anything else that seems familiar.**

I want to say I lived each day, until I die

And know that I meant something in, somebody's life

The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave

That I made a difference, and this world will see

~Los Angeles~

Letty breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into the parking lot at DT's. The traffic was always horrendous in the mornings but this morning had been considerably worse. It must be something to do with the road works on the bridge. Everybody was trying to avoid getting delayed at the road works so instead created a lovely amount of congestion on the alternative routes.

Checking her watch, she decided she had enough time to grab a coffee before she had to prepare the garage for the day. She'd been in such a rush to leave the house this morning that she hadn't had time to fill up her thermos and now she was feeling the beginnings of caffeine withdrawal. It wouldn't be pleasant for anybody if she didn't get her fix soon.

She crossed the street and opened the door to the little café on the corner.

"Morning Sarah," Letty smiled.

"Morning Letty," Sarah replied, smiling as she switched on the coffee machine. "In early today."

"I had to get out of the house. It's gonna be one of those days." Letty sighed.

"Aaaw, you not got any plans for tonight?" Sarah asked, preparing Letty's usual, a caramel Latte with cinnamon dashed on top.

"Nope, just staying in and having dinner with Mia."

"Oh that sounds great, well I hope you have a lovely time!" Sarah beamed, handing Letty her coffee.

"Yeah, cheers…" Letty paid and grabbed her coffee, perplexed. "See ya."

Crossing the street she noticed that no one else had arrived yet. She still had some time to herself.

Opening the side door she switched on the lights and strolled over to the office at the back. Sitting in the chair, she opened the drawer and lifted out the stack of papers that filled it. Underneath them all lay the only photo she'd kept of her and Dom. It had been at a time she'd never doubted there would be plenty more photo opportunities so she hadn't given it the attention it deserved. But it was still her favourite, and that was why she kept it, and hidden it at DT's. It was a candid and portrayed the depth of their feelings.

_~Flashback, LosAngeles, backyard of 1327, summer 2005~_

_She was sat in Dom's lap, her arm wrapped tightly around his neck, his hand caressing her back as he leaned over to grab some food for them. She had his father's cross on, playing with the jewels as they shimmered in the low light. He was wearing the most amazing smile as she smiled coyly back. _

_Mia was scurrying around with her new camera she'd been given for getting 2350 in her SATs, taking snaps of everything. They'd long since started to ignore her, and she'd given up getting them to pose for photos, instead happy to take candid pictures of the team, her family._

_They'd sat there all night, Letty in Dom's arms, neither saying a word. They had never needed to fill the silence with mindless chatter, always comfortable being in each other's company._

"Letty? Are you in here?" A voice shouted to her from the darkness of the garage.

Quickly Letty put the photo back in the drawer before carefully placing the stack of papers on top.

"I'm in here," she called, before walking through to the pit.

"How ya livin' girl?" Leon said, giving Letty a high five. "What's the plans for today then?"

"Well we've got a Prius coming in that needs a set of new tyres, that Ford over there needs it's oil changing and we've got a service to do on that Cobra. These idiots with their fast cars and they don't even know how to do a service."

"Oh right, okay then baby girl, nothing else?" Leon asked carefully.

"Nope that's all we've got booked in, may get a few drop in's later so we'll just have to play it by ear. I want an early get away and the diary's fairly light so it's lookin' promising."

"Ah right, so you have got plans then?"

"Nope, I just told Mia I'd grab us something for tea and I don't want her to be waitin' on me." Letty was baffled. Why was everyone asking her about her plans? Shrugging it off, she walked over to the locker room, "I'm just gonna get changed, be right back."

As soon as she was gone, Leon whipped his phone out. "She's forgotten her birthday, hasn't she?" he text mia.

"Yup," she responded.

"What do we do?"

"Tread carefully, she'll be pissed as hell when she remembers and she realises she forgot. She's trying to pretend she's coping and this shit proves she's not."

Leon slipped his phone back into his pocket and grabbed his overalls. Quickly he pulled his shorts off and pulled on his overalls, tying them at the waist. He wasn't bothered about engine grease on his wife beater and it was far too hot to wear them properly.

"Sup man? Where's the birthday girl?" Vince strolled in, bumping fists with Leon.

"Shhhhh man! She's forgot." Leon whispered back.

"What? Fuck man, this shit ain't good. She's gonna blow a fuse when she remembers. Who's gonna tell her?"

"I dunno dude, I ain't thought that far ahead. Hey, where's Jesse?"

"I think he said something about a doctor's appointment. He should be in in a bit. Come on let's go open up and keep our heads down"

They worked hard all day, Jesse turned up about an hour after they opened but Vince quickly dragged him into the office before he had a chance to speak to Letty. They stopped for lunch but quickly carried on. They got all the cars done by 4 and Vince said he'd stay behind in case anyone turned up, they didn't all need to be there with nothing to do.

Letty escaped quickly, she didn't need telling twice. Jumping in her car, she sped off to El Pescador, needing to be alone for a bit.

Parking the car, she walked the short distance to the wooden steps and descended to the beach below. Walking over to her normal spot she sat, leaning against the base of the bluff, feeling the warm sand soothe her body. She lost track of time as she sat there watching the water gently stealing the sand.

Finally, she dug her phone out of her bag, noticing she had a text off Mia.

"Shit!" She exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing her bag. It was half 6. She hadn't noticed how quickly the time had gone, lost in her own memories. Opening the text, she ran up the steps.

"Exam went great, I think! What time will you be back? xox"

"On way now," She text back, "I'm going to D' Caché, do you just want your usual? xx" Their favourite restaurant was temporarily closed due to the unexpected death of Mr. Di Giovanni's brother and they had flown out to help out his sister-in-law and her children arrange everything. As it was a family run restaurant, there was no one left in town to run it and Letty and the team had been experimenting with different restaurants in the area until their return.

Speeding over to D' Caché, she parked the car and stepped into the restaurant. She'd never been here before, but she knew it was a favourite of Mia's when she didn't feel like cooking. Looking around, she hid a smile, Mia was so predictable. She should have known that the table clothes would be checkered red and white, that there'd be stubs of candles on all the tables and that Spanish guitar music would be playing softly out of the speakers. Something's never changed, she laughed, shaking her head.

Going over to the till, she looked over the menu. After a couple of minutes, one of the waiters walked over to take her order.

"Hey, I'll have the Clam, Chorizo & white bean stew please," Letty started, studying the menu before looking up, looking at the man in front of her. God, this guy was gorgeous. Tall, at least 6ft, with long, dark hair that brushed his bright green eyes, offset beautifully against his olive brown skin. "Err, I'm not quite sure what I want yet…" She stammered out. God, what was wrong with her? She never acted like this. She'd kept herself in isolation for too long, that must be what it was, she convinced herself.

"That's alright, take your time," the guy grinned back. Holy shit, he had a dimple.

"Yo Ace! I'm just running to the shop, we're out of Chorizo!" a guy yelled from the back of the restaurant.

"Er, I guess I'll have the Seafood Paella." Letty finally decided.

"Brilliant, it's just gonna be around 20 minutes or so if that's okay? Ray's just ran out to get some Chorizo for your boyfriends meal."

"Oh no, it's for my sister. That's fine."

"Awesome," Ace grinned at her.

"I'll have a Corona while I wait," she said, putting the menu down.

"Sure, I hate to ask this, but have you got any ID?" Ace asked.

"Ha!" she laughed, passing over her driver's licence, "It's been a while since I got carded."

"Sorry," Ace said apologetically, "Oh, Happy Birthday!" He exclaimed as he looked at the licence.

"Huh?" Letty replied, checking the date on her phone. "Oh my god," She exclaimed, "How did I do that?"

"Uh, I'm sorry. I thought you would have known. Obviously…" Ace trailed off. "Has no one wished you a Happy Birthday all day?"

"No." Letty replied, looking a bit dazed.

"Well, that's just a little sad. Here drink this, on the house." Ace poured out a shot of Tequila and pushed it over with a slice of lime resting on the top.

Letty knocked it back, looking a little dumbfounded.

"Hey, tell you what? Why don't you let me cook you dinner? You've obviously not got any plans."

"I don't know man. I don't even know you."

"I'm not asking you to marry me, and you are already here…" Ace pointed out as he grinned at her.

Letty thought it over, what the hell, you only live life once, need to start making the most of it again. "Alright, let me just check in with my sister, let her know that I'm going to be late." She stood up and walked out the restaurant. Pulling out her phone, she dialled Mia's number.

"Hello?" Mia said as she picked up.

"Hi. Forget something did we?" Letty said dryly.

"Erm, hi. Happy Birthday?" Mia asked nervously, not sure if that was what the older Latina meant.

"Yeah, how could you not say anything Mii? I mean I've gone all day forgetting it's my birthday!"

"I know, I know, but I knew you'd be really angry when you realised you'd forgotten and I thought it would be better if you remembered yourself without us pointing it out to you."

"Huh." Letty stopped. "And the boys?"

"I warned Leon this morning and he must have warned the others."

"Warned? I'm not some tiger Mia, you don't need to hide shit from me. Speaking of which. Some guys asked me out to dinner tonight. He apparently wasn't so wise and wished me a happy birthday when he carded me."

"Ooh, what's his name?" Mia squealed, her interest peaked.

"It's Ace, from the restaurant."

"Oh that's great, he's a really nice guy. Don't worry about me, I'll have something with the guys. Have fun!"

Letty slipped her phone in her pocket and went back into the restaurant.

"Where do you want me?" She asked, grabbing her beer.

"Well…" Ace started, grinning slyly.

"Shut up," she shoved him, laughing, "you know what I mean."

"Why don't you go take that seat at the bar? That way I can still talk to you as I'm cooking. Do you still want the Seafood Paella?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. So how long have you worked here for?"

"Oh, I don't work here, well I guess I do. My parents owned the place and left it to me when they moved to Miami to be closer to my grandparents. I guess as they get older my family tends to flock to warmer climates."

"Ha, mine too!" She laughed, "It must be an old age thing."

They chatted there for several hours. She learnt that Ace had an older sister that lived in New York, he'd lived in LA since he was 5, before that in New York which is when his sister had fallen in love with it. She lost all track of time, laughing and harmlessly flirting. She should have done this months ago. He was exactly what she needed to take her mind off of things. He was a great guy and they had a lot in common. At the end of the night, she was sad to say goodbye, but she told herself she didn't want anything serious.

"Thanks for a lovely night," She said, "I really needed that."

"You're welcome. I had a great time."

"Listen, I really should be heading back. It's getting quite late and I don't want Mia to worry." Letty jumped in quickly before he could say anything else. "See ya around Ace!"

And with that she jumped in her car and sped off into the night.

She pulled into the drive at the side of the house and looked over at the dark house. It appeared that everybody had turned in for the night.

Creeping in, she slipped off her shoes and snuck up the stairs. She'd deal with them in the morning.

Sighing, she shut her bedroom door behind her and switched on the light.

There in the middle of her bed lay a small box. Going over and opening the card, she sank down onto the bed.

"Happy Birthday Letty,

Love Dom."

It read.

** Reviews are love. **


	4. Life after Dom

**Thank you all for the reviews, follows and faves. Please let me know if you want me to continue. Reviews are love.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Fast and Furious, or anything that appears familiar.**

I was here I lived, I loved I was here I did,

I've done, everything that I wanted

And it was more than I thought it would be

I will leave my mark so everyone will know

~Mexico~

Dom had been working for Braga all night. Giselle had promised he was going to be at El Alebrije that evening, but she'd still been unable to provide a photo. She'd offered to come with him, to be his back-up when it all kicked off, but Dom had declined. It was too dangerous for them to appear to be socialising together.

"Dominic." Campos greeted Dom, signalling to the bartender for two more drinks. "Didn't expect to see you here. Come with me."

Dom stood up, following Campos through to the private area he had cordoned off.

"There's some serious things about to go down Dom. I need to know you've got my back."

"What do you need?"

"Let's talk tomorrow. Come to the office at 10."

~Los Angeles~

Letty put the card down and slowly picked up the box. What the hell was? She didn't hear anything from him for 6 months and then he goes and sends her a fuckin' **birthday present**. Who did he think he was?

There was a quiet knocking on her door. "Letty?" Mia called.

"Come in." Letty sighed. "What is this Mia? How did he even send this?"

"Han sent it. I spoke to Dom about it and he told me if he wasn't home by your birthday to give it to you. He did send the card though. I'm not sure how exactly, but it came in an envelope addressed to me, asking me to give it to you with… Well you'll see."

"No, I won't. This isn't fair Mia. He doesn't get to do this. He walked out on **me**remember. I hear **nothing **from him, and when I'm finally movin' on with my life, he comes and drops this shit on me. So no, I won't see. Take it with you. I'm going bed."

"I get that this is really hard for you, sweetie, but you have to know the only reason he isn't with you now is to protect you-"

"**Bullshit **Mia. I never needed any protection. We were always stronger together. Who is he to decide for me? Leaving me in the middle of the night?"

"I know you're hurting right now, but everything he has ever done is for you. One day you'll see that and you'll regret asking me to get rid of this. Goodnight Letty. I hope you had a nice birthday." Mia kissed her sister on the forehead before leaving the room and quietly shutting the door behind her.

Letty sighed. Maybe Mia was right. But right now she definitely didn't want to see what he'd sent her. She was finally starting to feel alive again and he didn't get to affect her emotions anymore. He lost that right when he walked out on her in the DR. So opening her underwear drawer, she placed the unopened box and the card at the bottom before closing it on both the unwanted present and that chapter of her life.

**Reviews are love.**

**I'm sorry that it's so short but I just wanted to finish off that evening. I'll update again soon. Please let me know if you want me to continue.**


	5. Happy Bithday Again

**Not entirely happy with this chapter but had to post something. I know a lot of you wanted Letty to open the present and I promise you she will, but not yet. There are many reasons behind her not opening it, the most important being that she is finally able to envision a life without Dom and she doesn't want to jeopardise that. I found this section very difficult to write as I'm the biggest Dotty fan going (see my name, I'm also getting "Ride or die, remember?" tattooed on my ribs) so to write her being without him and contemplating moving on was very, very difficult. But don't worry fellow Dotty lovers… stick with me and yee shall be rewarded **** xxx**

**Disclaimer: Once again I own neither the fast and furious or this song.**

I was here I lived,

I loved I was here I did,

I've done, everything that I wanted

And it was more than I thought it would be

I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here

~Los Angeles, 5 days later (07/17)~

Letty had been throwing herself into her work since her birthday, anything in order to keep her mind occupied. She noticed she'd been sleeping a lot better though and as a result the bags under her eyes were smaller than they'd been for 6 months.

After a hard day slogging it out in the heat at the garage all she wanted to do was chill out with a few beers and put her feet up. Hearing a knock at the door she sighed. It wouldn't be any of the team. They all had their own keys and barged in whenever they felt like it.

"Ace!" she exclaimed surprised when she opened the door. "What're you doing here? How do you even know where I live?"

"Hey," he grinned back. "I found this at the restaurant last night when I was cleaning up. It had fallen behind the till register." He handed over her licence. "I thought you might be missing it so I thought I'd bring it round rather than you waiting even longer for it. I didn't have your number otherwise I would have called first."

"Oh great, cheers! I hadn't even noticed!" Letty replied, taking her licence and putting it on the side table.

"I guess you really don't get carded very often!" Ace laughed.

"Not since these babies popped up, anyway!" Letty joked, gesturing to her breasts. 'God what's wrong with me?' She thought. 'Why am I flirting with him?'

Ace grinned "Well not when you're wearing that I suppose." He flirted back gesturing to her tight white wife beater.

Shaking her head and laughing Letty asking him if he wanted to come in for a beer.

"Sorry I can't tonight, there's a suppliers nearby that I was supposed to be calling in at before heading straight back to the restaurant. How about I take you out on Friday instead?"

"Sure," Letty agreed, "What've you got in mind?"

"Why don't you let me surprise you?" Ace said slyly.

"Okay" Letty laughed.

"I'll pick you up at 8."

Letty spent the rest of the night chilling out in front of the TV watching repeats of Top Gear. Finally, she stood, stretched and grabbed the empty beer bottles and pizza box to put in the kitchen before ascending the stairs.

Jumping in the shower she quickly scrubbed off the dirt and sweat of the day before tying her hair up in a bun and walking into the bedroom.

Grabbing one of Dom's old shirts she sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at the drawer she'd hidden her birthday present. It had been calling to her for the past 5 days for her to open it and see what he'd sent her. But she was trying so hard to move on with her life and she knew that if she opened it she'd be right back where she was 6 months ago.

Sighing she slipped her arms through the sleeves and pulled it on over her head. Lying back on the bed she stared up at the ceiling. After a while, she turned to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table. Noticing it was after midnight, now the 18th July, she whispered "Happy Birthday baby." Before switching off the bedside light and letting sleep claim her.

_~Los Angeles, 2004~_

"_Hey birthday girl!" Dom grinned at Letty as she arrived at his house with a present under his arm._

"_Hey birthday boy!"_

"_What've you got there?" He asked smirking. _

"_Hmmmmm present for Mia. She deserves one for having a brother like you."_

"_Hahaha hilarious!" He deadpanned._

"_I try. It's your birthday present. I'll go put it in your room."_

"_Well don't go peaking, I'll give you your present later."_

"_Ha you wish Toretto." _

"_Get your head out of the gutter Leticia."_

_Laughing Letty left her best friend as she climbed the stairs to put Dom's birthday present in his room._

_Ever since she'd moved down the road when she was 11, her and Dom had had joint birthday parties. With only having 6 days between their birthdays, and them being as close as they were, it made sense for them to have joint birthday parties. She used to act like it bothered her but secretly she loved sharing their birthdays. He was her best friend and it was made even more special with him celebrating it too, so every year without fail, the Saturday after his birthday their parents threw them a joint party._

_Coming back down the stairs she spied him leaning against the wall talking to Vince, a beer in his hand. Smiling at him, she crossed the room and grabbed his beer. In three long gulps she'd downed it before passing him back the empty bottle. "Cheers," she grinned._

"_You're welcome." He replied dryly. "Come on, let's go get me another drink. How's it feel being able to drive?"_

"_Come on Dom, we both know I've been driving for years."_

"_Yes, but now I mean legally."_

"_Ah right, I dunno, less fun if I'm really honest."_

"_Ha yeah I know what you mean," Dom grinned. "There are other ways for you to get your adrenaline rushes you know." He placed his hand on the wall above her head and leaned in closer._

"_Oh really? Why don't you show me?" Letty flirted back. She may be coming off as cool and collected but her heart was pounding in her chest and her pulse was racing. _

_Leaning down, Dom gently pressed a kiss to the now-legal Latina. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do that for?" He whispered in her ear._

_Wrapping her arms around his neck, Letty pulled Dom back down, "Probably not as long as I've wanted you to." She whispered back, crushing her lips against his. "Happy birthday papa."_

"_Happy birthday." He whispered, kissing her sweetly, neither caring who may be watching._

**Reviews are love.**

**A/N: Sorry not entirely happy with this chapter, but I wanted to post for Vin Diesels birthday. I've had so much on this week I've not had chance to update but hopefully things have calmed down now so I'll be able to update regularly. xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the delay guys, I've just been sooooooo busy! Let me know what you think, reviews are very motivational **** I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Fast and The Furious Franchise or anything else that seems familiar. Unfortunately.**

I just want them to know

That I gave my all, did my best

Brought someone to happiness

Left this world a little better just because,

I Was Here

__Los Angeles, 1 year later~

Letty yawned, blearily opening her eyes and blinking up at the ceiling. Glancing over to the alarm clock, she sighed, 'How was it already 6 am?' she thought to herself as she willed herself to get out of bed. A hand snaked over her stomach, and her resolve, already weak, shattered as she smiled down at the man lying next to her. "Morning." She smiled down at him.

"Morning." He grinned back. "Why are you up so early? I had plans for you this morning."

"Oh did you now?" Letty grinned as she rolled on top of him, pinning him down to the bed. "What might those plans involve?" She asked as she slowly leaned down, allowing her breasts to gently press against his chest, her lips stopping millimetres away from his.

Grabbing the back of her head, the man crushed his lips to the sexy Latina's as he flipped them before slowly trailing his fingertips under her wife beater allowing them to brush the gentle curve of her breast.

Gasping harshly, Letty could feel a dampness growing in her simple cotton panties as she felt his hard erection at her core. Leaning upwards she bit his lip, hard, as she raked her fingertips down his ab muscles.

Gripping the edge of her wife beater, he ripped it over her head, allowing her breasts to spring free. Taking one of them in his mouth, Letty moaned in frustration as she felt his erection move away from where she was weeping for him but then hummed in pleasure as she felt his hot mouth capture her breast. Nipping at the sensitive skin, Letty gasped as he twirled his tongue around her hard nipple. Reaching up with his hand, he gently squeezed at her other breast, gently rolling the hard nipple between his fingertips.

Letty bucked her hips at his torment on her sensitive breasts. Reaching down, she put her hand in his boxers and roughly grabbed at his throbbing erection. Chuckling, he removed her hand before moving his attention with his very attentive mouth to her other aching breast.

Reaching down, he gently teased at the edge of her soaking panties, slowly peeling them to one side before stroking up the side of one of swollen lips. Hissing at his touch, she bit down hard on her bottom lip, drawing blood. Stroking up and down the slick wetness of her, he laughed quietly at her quiet whimper as he quickly pushed a long finger inside her throbbing centre.

Leaving her swollen, glistening breasts, he trailed hot, wet kisses down her flat, tanned stomach before he latched on to her clit with his mouth and sucked hard, flicking it with his tongue. Moaning, Letty reached down and pressed his head closer to her core. When he chuckled at her need, she drew in a ragged breath as she felt his hot breath and rumble against her core.

Stroking her tight walls, he sucked one last time at her clit before nipping gently and replacing his mouth with his calloused thumb, circling gently. Letty pulled him up to her mouth, nipping his lips hard, before wrapping her legs around his waist and locking her ankles, attempting to draw him closer.

Moaning, unsatisfied at the amount he filled her, she flipped them, grinding her hips against his pulsing manhood as she pinned his hands above his head. Ripping his boxers down with her free hand, she sat up, slowly rubbing her core over his swollen shaft. Laughing she muttered, "Paybacks a bitch, babe." as she teased him with her dripping centre.

Groaning, he wrenched his hands free, grabbing her by her hips and throwing her down onto her back, ripping her panties off in a well-practiced move. Staring down at her, he licked his lips as he took in all of her magnificent beauty.

"Come here, baby," she whispered sultrily as she pulled him down to her lips. Lining himself up where she was moist and desperate she sucked in a sharp breath as he filled her with one swift motion.

She arched her body willingly in answer to his thrusting hips, crying out as he reached down between her lips and squeezed harshly on her clit. She reached up and wrapped her legs around his waist meeting his thrusts and matching them, never missing a beat.

She writhed underneath him, desperate for her sweet release she could feel coming closer and closer with each thrust. Finally, she cried out in a final shattering release as she felt her walls clamp down, riding out the wave after wave of ectasy.

Groaning in blissful agony, he abandoned himself to pleasure as he began his jarring, pulsing release, allowing himself to climax with his lover.

A little while later Letty was lay in his arms, tracing lazy circles on his bare chest, utterly spent after their morning activities.

"I thought you had to get up?" He grinned, pressing a kiss to her soft hair.

"Hmmmm," She hummed back, too exhausted to form sentences, peacefully happy in the arms of her lover.

Laughing, the muscled man wrapped his arms tighter around his love. Hhe loved mornings like this. Lazy, loving, naked… and with Letty, they were a common occurrence. Realising just how perfect she was for him, he came to a quick decision.

"Marry me." The words were out of his mouth before he'd even thought to the end of the sentence. In the brief pause before she answered, he realised just how right it was, he would never meet anybody else like her, she was unique and so perfect for him.

"Yes." She exclaimed, before grinning broadly, "Of course I will." Today was definitely going to be a good day.

**A/N: Who do you think it is? Ace or Dom?**

**Reviews are love **


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